The Illusion of Owning God as the Starting Point of Religious Discrimination (Mark 7:24-37)

Today, the preacher delivered a sermon on Mark 7:24-37 titled 'Crossing the Walls of Discrimination.'

The preacher explained that the author (editor) of Mark's Gospel provided detailed information about the Syrophoenician woman's background to deliberately emphasize that she was a non-Jew.

Regarding Jesus calling her a 'dog' upon meeting her, the preacher introduced a scholar's view that until then, Jesus had not yet transcended the limitations of being Jewish. Jesus, who was bound by the phrase about dogs eating crumbs, was, literarily speaking, saved. In other words, Jesus expanded his body, heart, and mind beyond Judea to include Gentiles. Jesus moved beyond the narrow land of Judea and overcame the flimsy walls of Judaism.

On the other hand, Jesus calling the Syrophoenician woman a 'dog' can also be viewed as psychodrama. Jesus is the originator of psychodrama. This drama became a healing drama for the woman. Psychodrama begins healing when one accepts their current position. Interpreting the woman's words about dogs eating crumbs that fall from their master's table, it's as if she's saying, 'Even if you call me a dog, am I not still human? Is God incapable of loving even dogs, or is he so narrow-minded?' The woman truly acknowledged her current position.

Where does religious discrimination begin? It starts when the desire to possess God goes beyond and becomes an unfounded self-esteem. From that point on, discrimination is carried out in God's name. We shouldn't stand next to Jesus and shout 'dog' just because Jesus called the Syrophoenician woman a dog. By the way, 'dog' was an insult in Jesus' time, and it still is today. The history of 'dog' as one of the most common hate speeches is over 2000 years old. These days, dogs are becoming increasingly popular. We can't help but see this as God's special treatment for 'dogs.'"